Tobacco pocket and closure means therefor



-Aug. 15, 1950 M. A. SALTZ TOBACCO POCKET AND CLOSURE MEANS THEREFOR Filed March 11, 1946 I INVENTOR. Mam/s 14. $01.72.

WWM

147' TORNE Y5.

t 2,519,29o TOBACCO POCKET AND CLOSURE MEAN THEREFOR Morris A. Saltz, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor to Rogers Imports, Inc., a corporation of New York Application March 11, 194.6, Serial No. 653,606

3 Claims. (Cl. 150-3) This invention relates to air-tight sealing devices and more particularly to an easily operable, positive, air-tight and water-tight flexible closure for tobacco pouches, bread bags or boxes, swim suit pockets, and the like.

The prior art, insofar as it is known to appli cant, has employed various means for the purpose of providing an air-tight pocket for the purpose of keeping the contents fresh. Included in such means have been the provision of air-tight liners made of cellophane, lead-foil, tin-foil, etc., which are foldable at their open portions to retard, though usually not entirely to prevent, the entrance of air or the evaporation of the contents. Such folded inner liners have proven unsatisfactory primarily due to the necessity of tediously folding and unfolding the margins of the inner liner. Even when folded, such construction does not afford an air-tight closure.

Other attempts to provide a suitable air-tight pocket include the provision of a pouch having an opening formed with opposed abutting lips which are forced together and normally held in close association with one another by means of an outer clamping mechanism or slide fastener. These latter devices frequently fail to achieve a highly efficient degree of desired'fluid tightness and in any eventdo not provide self-sealing lips which retain'an interlocked self-sealing engagement of the sealing member such :that the sealing member maintains a desirable degree of fluid tightness by virtue of its own inherent construction without the necessary aid of other external and secondary fastening devices. a This invention provides an air-tight seal which retains a close interlocking position by virtueof its own form and construction. The seal is positive and efficient. It may readily be opened or closed and it may be used either independently without the necessity of auxiliary fastening de: vices or, if desired, in conjunction with any suitable auxiliary fasteners.

I No other satisfactory self -locking positively airtight, simple and convenient pocket-sealing construction is known to applicant by means of which an impervious pocket may be closed so as to remain closed during use but which may be readily opened as desired.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improved primary self-sealing closure for a fluid-tight pocket for tobacco or other per ishable merchandise.

, I It is another object of this invention to provide a new and improved primary closure of flexible andefiicient construction which may be readily carried without inconvenience upon the users person.

I It isa further object of this invention to pro vide a new and improved primary closure device incorporating a self-sealing interlocked construcion.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a new and improved temporary sealing closure adapted for use with an auxiliary closure to form a temporary seal and further adapted to be used independently of such auxiliary closure to form a self-sufficient sealing structure.

Another further object of this invention is to provide a new and improved fluid-tight closure whose parts are adapted to make parallel multiple longitudinal sealing engagements with one another until deliberately pulled apart for opening said closure.

A still further object of this invention is to provide aprimary sealing device of new and improved construction, the opposing parts of which interlock and seal when laterally pressed together and which maybe laterally drawn apart for opening and disengaging the same.

It is another further object of this invention to provide a new and improved fluid-tight pocketassociated with a: primary sealing device which is simple in construction, effective in operation, economical to manufacture, and convenient to use.

It is a further object of this invention to overcome many of the objections and difficulties associated with prior art devices intended for the same use.

With these and other objects in view, this invention consists in the arrangement and com bination of the various parts of the device whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereafter set forth, pointed out in the appended claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tobacco pouch embodying this invention, parts being cut away;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 5.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 5.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to Figure 2 showing the closure in an exaggerated alternative sealed position.

Figure 5 is a plan view of the tobacco pouch taken on the line 5--5 of Figure 2.

Figure. 6 isa perspective view of the liner. and

formed as a single unit or sewed along a bottom! seam l5 and at its ends IS. A mouth I I is pro vided at the upper end of the cover and isnotma1- ly closed by means of the slide fastener l 3.

The liner II is normally .disposedwithin the cover so that the sealing device 12, belowv the fastener I3 corresponding, in the open position of the sealed members, to the-mouth-of-the-1iner.

The sealing device comprises a male member and a complementarya'emale member 2|. The

male member comprises'an elongatedmale part 22*which maybe in'the'form of arm, substantially cylindrical, or bulbous in cross section if desired, connected to a base'23"by' means of a constricted-neck 24; The base" 23 is formed with lateral upper-andlower'shoulders 25.

The female member 2| is provided with a channel '31- therein of substantiallycylindrical cross section substantially corresponding with the cylindrical construction of the male part" 22. Lips- 33 and-34 provide a constriction at the mouth 35 of the channelnormallyengaging in the constricted neck 24' of themale-member.

The-liner at itsupper margin-4O tightIy-encircles. and is cemented tothe sealing device all the way around.

.The shape oftheadjacent surfaces of-the'maie and female members respectively are-complementary, and normally mutually interlocking in their .most sealed position so as to form-a snug fit.as most clearly illustrated in Figure 2. But the male andfemale .members have a position of non-interlocking sealed abutment, as.-.hereinafter explained in addition. to .theiriinterlocked position.

In the operation. of the tobaccopouchillustrated, the inner liner .may. be initiallyifihed. with tobacco andthe male-and female, members may be laterally forced together, by digital pressure causing the cylindrical male part 22v to spread .the lips -33 and 34 permitting the cylindricalpart to enter the channel 3| whereupon the lips snugly encircle the male part 22.:andlabut; against both sides of the restricted neck 24, While the adjae cent surfaces and 46 are thereby held in close association with one another throughout the length of the sealing device.

If desired, upon forcing themale and female members together, the slide fastener. also may, though it need not, be closed. Thus the inherent resiliency of the male and female members coupled with the interlocking engagement. of the lips 33 and 34 against the constrictedneck-M prevents the sealing device from opening during the normal use of the pouch whether theslide fastener is closed or. not. If. desired, however, the slide fastener [3 'may be closed so asit'o function as, a safety lock to afford 'additiOnaLasSurance that the sealing members will'not lie-accidentally pulled apart between'uses.

Instead of interlockingthe' maleandffemale members as illustrated in Figure 2, anon-interlocked sealing of the members '20 and 21 maybe occasionedby simply closingtheslide fastener in the mannerill'ustrated in Figure 4- where said male and female 'membersare shown in "a somewhat exaggerated tilted relationship with respect to one another. In this position the upper cornet 48 of the female member normally abuts against the adjacent edge or surface 46 of the male member providing a first air-tight seal therealong. Similarly the upper lip 34 of the female member establishes a second seal against and-along the upper edge of. the cylindrical male part 22. A third sealing engagement may also be made between the lower lip 33 of the female member and the adjacent surface of the male part.

Thereby a first dead air space 50 and a second dead air space 5| extend throughout the length 'of' thesealing device to provide an additional sealing effect and greater insurance against leakage of air into or from the liner, even though the male and female members are not in their interlocked position of sealed engagement.

Such a non-interlocked sealing engagement of the male and female members is occasioned by the-tendency of the slide fastener to draw the mouth of the pouch together'into approximate relationship especially alon its upper edge and is also partly due to the tendency of the cover and-liner to retain a natural position which is distortedwhen the slide fastener is closed without-interlocking the male and female members. Moreoverthe particular manner in which the ends' of the sealing apparatus are cemented or otherwise closely'engaged with the resilient liner provides sufficient flexibility at the ends of the sealing device to permit the male and female members to'rotate slightly relative to one another, yet tends to return them to their normal aligned and non-tilted position as hereafter described. From the last described position of non-interlocked sealing engagement of the male and female members causedby the closing of the slide fastener-alone, these members may be forced into interlockingengagement by thesimple expedient of compressing them laterally together by exerting digital pressure again'stthe outer upper margins of the pouch.

When it is desired to open the pouch, assuming thatthe'slide' fastener is inan open position, the opposite-halves Hand 56 of the slide fastener may -be' grasped and pulled apart thereby drawing the male partout of the'channel 3|. An initialy'partiallyopen-position of thesealing device is' illustratedin-Figure 5 wherein the male and female members are separated along a part of their length.

If the slidefastener is omittedaltogether; the male'and female members maybe separated by pulling open the mouth of the pouchby directly grasping the same, or, if desiredysuitable' tabs orpull'pieces maybe furnished at the sides of the mouth of the-pouch.

If the slide fastener is in a closed" position and the male and female membersare interlocked as shown in Figure 2,the slide fastener must'flrst be opened before the male and female members may be conveniently disengaged from" one an other. "But ifthe "slidefastener is closed'and the male and female members are disposed in non-interlocking engagement with one another as illustrated in Figure 4; the 'pouch maybe opened by' the sole and-simple expedient of-opening' the 'slide fastener.

In the manufacture of this invention the inner liner may be formed-from a plurality of-=separate pieces-or byhalves vulcanized together along their ends 60' and bottom 6l..- Orthe linermay be molded from a single piece of material to form a pocket preferably of uniform thickness throughout its area though optionally reinforced or thickened at desired points as, for example, around the upper margin 62.

The male and female members are preferably formed from extruded sections separately from the liner and may be subsequently cut to equal lengths before or after being placed in an interlocked relationship with one another. The upper margin of the inner liner may be then stretched over the interlocked male and female members and cemented thereto all the way around including the end portions 63 and 64. While it is not essential to stretch the upper margin of the inner liner around the male and female members comprising the closure, this method of construction has been found to be highly desirable in that it has proven otherwise quite difficult or impossible to achieve a satisfactory air-tight seal at the ends of the closure.

By both cementing and stretching the ends of the mouth of the liner around the closure it has been found that a suitable tension is given around the upper margin 62 which aids the adhesion of the cement and tends to prevent the separation of the upper margin of the inner liner from the outer edges of the sealing device. This construction is also characterized by a desirable flexibility at the end portions, and in view of the fact that the male and female members present interlocking surfaces of identical cross section throughout their length. provides a snug and effective resilient fit for these members in the end areas. When the inner liner H and the sealing male and female members are molded of a single p ece of mater al it has been found that a satisfactory seal at the ends of the opening 65 is not obtained but that leakage oc urs when very slight pressure is ex rted unon the inner liner as evidenced by the formation of bubbles when the pocket is submer ed.

The outer cover ID, as well as the inner liner and the male and female seal ng members may be formed from rubber. whether natural, artificial, or composition, or from plast c, fabric, leather, or even springy metal or equivalent material. It has been found that an outer cover of leather, an inner liner of rubber or latex, and sealing members made of rubber, either pure or impregnated in fabric, provides a satisfactory pouch. It would be apparent. however, that only one of the male and female sealing members need be of a resilient material while the other may be made of a non-resilient substance.

The inner liner, while preferably cemented around the sealing device, may also be secured thereto by other means. such as stitching, stapling, or a combination of stitching, stapling, and cementing, etc., while yet retaining an air-tight construction. Likewise, the combined inner liner and sealing device may be cemented, sewed, stapled, or otherwise fastened to the mouth or upper margin of the outer cover in position substantially similar to that illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

It will likewise be apparent that in the noninterlocked sealed engagement of the male and female members at least three tendencies conour to bring about a position of closure. First, the end construction tends normally to cause the ends of the male and female members to remain in a closed position in alignment with one another; second, the inherent resilience of the male and female members tends to twist them into a 6 normal parallel relationship from one end to the other; and thirdly, the natural shape of the pouch itself, due to its inherent resilience, tends to draw the parts into a normal position of interlocked or at least abutting engageme t throughout their length.

In lieu of the slide fastener, it is obvious that other auxiliary fastening means such as ties, buttons, hooks, snaps, or the like may be used.

It will thus be apparent that this invention contemplates the use of an inner liner associated with a sealing device for the opening thereof and which is adapted to be used together with an auxiliary fastener or, if desired, entirely independently of such a secondary fastening means. The auxiliary fastener if used may operate to furnish a temporary abutting air-tight seal between the male and female members, or optionally it may provide an auxiliary or safety closure in addition to the sealed closure provided by the interlocked male and female members themselves. If not wholly omitted, the auxiliary or slide fastener need not be used with every use of the tobacco pouch inasmuch as the lips of the sealing closure may be effectively and permanently interlocked with the constricted neck portion 24 between uses of the pouch.

As an optional feature of this invention it is contemplated that by the use of an inverted U- shaped type of slide fastener known to those familiar with the art of manufacturing tobacco pouches by means of which the male and female members may be encircled either inside or, as is customary, outside of the cover, or by increasing the size of the mouth 35 relative to the male element 22 or vice versa, or by stiffening the lateral relationship of the conventional slide fastener illustrated relative to said male and female members, the pouch may be sealably closed either to a lesser extent than that illustrated or to the ame extent by the sole and simple expedient of closing the slide fastener. Such a modified construction would obviously interlock the male and female members in a sealed relationship to one another by the mere act of closin the slide fastener itself and without the necessity of pressing these members laterally so as to seal them after the slide fastener has been closed as heretofore described.

Although the invention has been herein shown and described in what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is rec ognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent 1. In the art of producing a substantially airtight pocket, the steps of forming an open bag of resilient material of substantially uniform thickness, extruding male and female interlocking closure members of resilient material, cutting said extruded members to equal lengths exceeding the normal length of the opening in the bag, stretching the opening of said bag, and cementing equal lengths of interlocked male and female members within said opening, said cement being applied entirely around the sides and ends of said interlocked members.

2. In the art of producing a closure for a pocket, the steps which comprise, forming separate male and female interlocking members of sensibly equal lengths, interlocking said equal lengths,and cementing said interlocked lengths includin the outer edges and ends thereof all the way around within the mouth of a bag for the purpose of providing an interlocking closure 5 for the bag when the male and female'memlaers are interlocked.

3. In the art of producing a substantiallyairtight closure for a pocket, the teps which comprise, forming separate male and female interlocking members of sensibly equal lengths, interlocking said equal lengths, stretching the mouth of a resilient bag, cementin said interlocked lengths including the outer edges and ends thereof all the way around Within said stretched mouth of said resilient bag, and allowing said bag to contract so as to provide a substantially air-tight seal for the bag when the male and female members are interlocked.

MORRIS A. SALTZ,

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Date Number Name 1,703,712 Aud Feb. 26, 1929 1,959,318 Sundback May 15, 1934 1,959,319 Sipe May 15, 1934 2,107,216 Rogers Feb. 1, 1938 2,115,424 Lesti Apr. 26, 1938 2,144,755 Freedman Jan. 24, 1939 2,289,254 Eagles July 7, 1942 2,355,816 Morner Aug. 15, 1944 2,409,489 Hurt Oct. 15, 1946 

